TMC

As ihadprivate excursions booked and would like to move them around and or cancel....but would just like to know the options before ilosedeposits etc. /QUOTE]

 

Most independent vendors have generous policies when you must cancel due to a cruise schedule change/missed port. If they did not, nobody would want to risk booking with them over the NCL tours. Hope it all works out for you.

 

T

 

Added- yes what Sid said.. we posted at the same time :)

Thank you for the info and wow I'm actually surprised there were that many in his age group. My kids are afraid there won't be any kids their age, but they are 13 and 15 now so in the teen club.

 

Can you report on how many teenagers you noticed on your sailing?

We sailed the Pearl on June 19th. Noticed a decent amount of teens. Our son is 15. He did go to the teen club a couple of times and said there were about 30 there for movie night.

T

We got on a shuttle provided by Harv & Marv for our whale watching. We asked to be dropped off in town afterward and we walked back. I do remember watching people return to the ship by bus, so I think that was the shuttle you are looking for.

T

Thanks for all the answers to my previous questions :)

 

One more- do you recommend we take both summer and winter clothes? I've been on 6 Caribbean cruises and never have taken a jacket so it will be kind of odd... does it get pretty cold in the Glacier Bay area? Assuming the other ports should be okay/warm? I guess it's better to go prepared than be sorry? :rolleyes:

Ous teenager wore shorts a couple of times, but I wore pants every day. It is usually windy outside on the ship and can get chilly inside near doors. If you have a helicopter excursion to a glacier, dogsledding or whale watch boat it could be quite chilly.

I suggest a two or three shorts, two or three jeans, short sleeve shirt for each day, a couple of sweatshirts or fleece, a good raincoat and gloves. Also two pairs of sneakers in case one gets wet.

T

Thanks for all the great information! I will be sailing on the Pearl on July 10. Just a couple of questions:

 

 

1. You said you did a taxi tour in Ketchikan. Was this something you booked in advance or can you just book one at the pier?
   
2. I believe you said you checked your luggage at the pier. In another review, someone said they had to walk it through security themselves and lift it on the conveyor belts. I would want to have to do the latter! Is there a particular place one needs to be to check it through?
   

 

 

Thanks!

We booked ahead through Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours. It was $74 per hour and in a mini van, so better value for a larger group.

When we dropped our bags, we just wheeled them up through a very short line and handed them off.

T

Not sure what that letter means and apparently I've been out of the loop. We are scheduled for an NCL excursion at Ketchican from 6:30 - 10:30am. Does that mean we get off when docked rather than tendering? My dh picked this crazy excursion and I'm wondering who the heck feels up to a crab feast at 9 in the morning, lol.....

I think the dock will be repaired for your trip. As of now the Pearl gets a berth on alternate weeks, and the other weeks offloads at berth 1 from 6:00-8:45 then moves out to anchor and passengers tender back. Keep an eye of the schedules posted at CLAALAKSA for updates.

T

Thanks to both of your for sharing! I will be on the Pearl on the July 24 sailing--getting very excited! It will be my first cruise (since a blah 3 day Greek Isles cruise as a teen as part of a Europe Tour).

 

I have some more questions: sharing a mid-ship mini-suite with my two sons (ages 12 and 15). You both commented on rooms being small--is there a little more room to pass around the sofa bed when extended in a mini? Or does the mini only afford more length not width to the room? I am a little worried about us being in such a tight space--we are used to spreading out when we travel. My brother and his wife and my dad will have cabins nearby, so we can spread out during the day at least (or if someone wants to go to sleep early).

 

I have heard the Pearl can be a loud ship--a lot of activity and noise (a lot of it fun). For those who want/need some quiet time, where are the best quiet areas (other than our own balconies)?

 

My younger son also has allergies--peanuts and tree nuts. He eats at restaurants and has eaten at some buffets--we always ask about specific items (and would want to avoid pancakes, crepes, etc, or anything made in the same pans as items with nuts). Did you notice a lot of nuts/nut items on the buffet? There will be times when we need to grab a quick(er) meal--I hope this will be possible. I know if I ASK NCL, they will just give a blanket statement that the buffet isn't safe--of course they have to do the CYA--I just hope to get a little more data so I can decide for myself.

 

Second poster--did your 15-year-old try the teen club? If so, what did he think of it?

 

Any tips/tricks for getting off the ship quickly in Juneau? I am guessing everyone wants off at the same time with the afternoon arrival time in port.

 

Favorite spots for glacier viewing?

 

How early did you get to the shows to get seating?

 

Was the "good" coffee machine on 11 still there?

 

Where did you eat lunch on embarkation day, and would you recommend it?

 

Thanks much--sorry for so many questions!

The sofa bed in the mini suite will open sideways (perpendicular to your bed) so will allow better traffic flow.

I really did not notice the ship to be loud. The card room was often full when I walked by. The library is nice also.

For the nuts, stay clear of bread except baguettes and hamburger or hot dog buns. I noticed pesto on a few menu items and saw a few pistachio desserts and macadamia nut cookies. We had such great help from the sous chef and asst maitre'd so be sure to ask for them on day one and they will find you after that.

Our son registered for the teen club and received an activity list. The only thing he was interested in was a video game tournament and movie night, but he enjoyed both of them.

If you have an NCL excursion in Juneau you will use a different exit. If you have a private tour be prepared to wait. They tell you that you cannot wait on the stairs but you can wait in the hallway just around the corner but many people do not respect that line. We did not get cleared until around 2:20 and made it off around 2:40 even though we had been waiting there almost an hour.

We viewed the glaciers from our cabin, deck 7 and the Great Outdoors. Port side sees them first.

I suggest 15-30 minutes prior to show for the 7:15 but don't know about the later one. Comedy and Legends filled up sooner than the juggler.

The good coffee machine is on 12 near the back of the Garden Cafe as you head out to the Great Outdoors. DH says it is somewhat espresso-like from the pressure of the brew - BUT it was broken about half of our cruise :(

For embarkation lunch the options are buffet, Summer Palace and I think O'Sheehans. I suggest the Summer Palace which opens at 12:00 so you can discuss allergies. DS had a meatball sandwich (good) and fries (note that fries are better in O'Sheehans and even the buffet). I had chicken nachos that were ok and can't remember about DH.

T

Just returned from our great cruise. Happy to answer questions, but here is some info:

Embarkation-

Arrived during our time slot of 10:30-11.00 and breezed through luggage drop, security and check in. Found seats and waited for our group 9 to be called. Once they started, they went through the numbers quickly. Went to main dining room for lunch and cabins were ready when we finished.

Cabin-

Balcony room 10650 located near the aft stairs. Very happy with location and would choose it again. Small but had adequate closet and shelf/drawer space. We appreciated the hooks on the wall and bathroom door. One outlet by the coffee maker and one on the opposite table where the hair dryer resides (hard wired to electricity). Sofa bed firm but not too bad with a topper, Best for someone 5 ft or less as it can be made up shorter than full length and then will not block balcony door. Warning sink water gets scalding hot! Jackson was a great cabin steward.

Shows-

Comedian Tim Kaminski was our favorite, but also enjoys the juggler, cirque style show and Legends song and dance.

Shops-

Nice little assortment but some of the Alaska items found cheaper in ports.

Casino-

Not overly crowded, slightly smoky at times.

Spa-

DH had a massage and I forgot to warn him about sales pitch, so we now own as assortment of Elemis products.

Staff-

Always smiling, friendly and helpful. Sous chef and assistant maitre'd, Robert, so helpful with DS food allergy.

Food-

There is food everywhere! We did not go to specialty restaurants. Enjoyed the food in the main dining room. We went to Indigo since that is where Robert was. Ordered the chocolate volcano more than once. Lotus Garden was just ok. it would not go back. O'Sheehans pretty good, but chicken tenders not the best. Did not eat buffet much because of allergies but what we had was good. It was nice to have access to coffee, tea, lemonade and flavored beverages anytime.

Ports-

In Juneau went whale watching with Harv and Marv. Saw quite a few whales and liked the small boat. WARNING - if you need to disembark soon after arrival get in line early and prepare to herded. This was the worst part of our trip. In Skagway we took a helicopter to Meade glacier - great excursion. Glacier

bay was beautiful and got to see Margerie calf. In Ketchikan we had a private tour with Ketchikan Taxi. Dave took us to Herring Cove where we saw many eagles, a few salmon out in the bay and a mink. Missed seeing a bear :( then we saw the totems at Saxman and were dropped off at Creek St for some shopping. Had to tender back, important to get in line early. In Victoria just walked around and ate a beaver tail pastry.

Disembarkation-

Super easy, waited in cabin until time to go. They called our tag at 8:00 but it was scheduled for 8:45. We headed off around 8:40 and were outside the terminal in less than 10 minutes!

What to wear-

We saw people on board wearing everything from shorts to jeans to fleece to dressy. I wore jeans every day with a short sleeve shirt and sometimes a sweater too. It was chilly near doors and in theater.

Weather-

Just a few sprinkles, some wind. High temps from 55-75 and cooler at night. Water was a bit rough at times with 9-12ft swells the first night. I took Bonine the first two and last two days just in case.

Thank you so much for all the dailies and info and great pictures. I do have a few questions: We're sailing on 7/31 and there is too little info about Pearl, Alaska, non-suite experiences and just general ship info. We're in a balcony on Deck 10. Did you see any shows, magicians, musical acts that stood out? Any particular food you would or would not recommend? How was the weather on your cruise? I plan to bring layers but I'm praying for some sunny days as I really hate rain. What excursions did you do and what did you see? Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks to the OP for posting so much info. I was also on this cruise but am not a paper saver. We were in 10650 and really liked the location near the aft stairs. Just two floors up to the Garden Cafe and Great Outdoors buffet and just a few decks down to other restaurants. A long walk to the theater in the front though. Most deck 10 balconies have a slight overhang which can protect from rain and some wind. I was in with DH and DS (15) and it is a bit tight - but we have slept in a tent before! Since the fold out sofa blocks the balcony when fully extended we chose to have it made as a shorter bed which was fine for me at 5'2" but always sleeping curled up on my side. Fully stretched out only my feet hung over at the ankles. Even though our amazing steward made it up each day, we appreciate the easier balcony access when the bed was out.

For food, enjoyed most items in the main dining room and found Lotus Garden just ok. Most desserts "lighter" than what we find in U.S. restaurants, but really liked the chocolate volcano. Did not eat much in the buffet due to DS food allergies. Very handy to grab coffee, tea, lemonade and soft serve here though.

I thought the cookies were bad but brownies good.

We had good weather with just a few sprinkles. Some wind and a bit rocky the first night/next sea day. High of 75 in Skagway and 55 in Glacier Bay. On the ship saw people in shorts, jeans, sweatshirts and sometimes dressy clothes and a few brave swimmers. I wore jeans and a short sleeve every day, sometimes adding a cardigan or fleece. Added a medium weight raincoat and gloves for our helicopter trip to glacier. Average temp inside boat around 70 but some chilly breezes near doorways. Bring comfy shoes as you may walk a lot.

We saw the comedy, juggler, cirque style and Legends show. Comedian Tim Kaminski was sooooo funny. Sit in the balcony if you don't want to risk being called up on stage. Hope he is still there. He does two months on and one month off.

I hope to post a review here soon but happy to answer any questions.

T

Thank you!!! When are you sailing? I would love to hear back from you about the soft serve machine if you get a chance to check if it's safe. I too travel with two epipens & Benadryl. There are hidden allergens in places you would never think..who ever thought that a simple lollipop would be processed in a factory with tree nuts?? I read every label - even if it's something we have ordered before.

Have a great trip!

Just back from our trip on the Pearl. I will include a lot of details here about how they handled the food allergies. I think you will find similar on the Jewel.

Upon embarking we went to the Summer Palace (main) dining room for lunch. I told the server that our son was allergic to tree nuts and flax. He tried to make a note but did not know what flax was or even how to spell it. I worried a bit, but asked to speak with a chef. Minutes later - worry over. Adolfin, executive sous chef, came to our table to review the menu. Robert, the assistant maitre'd from the other main restaurant, Indigo, also came over. We also discussed what items would be safe at the buffet and O'Sheehans. They said we could pre-order meals for the following night or just let the server know of the allergy when we arrived each evening. They each gave us a card and we saw Adolfin several more times and Robert every time in the dining room. We tipped them both on the last night.

We noticed in other restaurants that after scanning our room card a slip of paper would print out to remind them of the allergy. One day we did not ask because DS was repeating a menu item and they quickly came over to check if he had ordered something safe.

Most entrees and appetizers are ok. Usually we would just tell them what he wanted to see if it was safe, so I do not know about all of the menu items. The breads in the basket (and buffet) can contain nuts and/or seeds so he got a special basket each night with the safe baguette bread that he really liked.

In the buffet we were comfortable with him eating pizza and burgers. I did not worry about cross contamination since each item is in it's own station. If he wanted a dessert there I would just look for someone in the tall white chef hat and ask them. If they did not know, they would call the pastry chef and ask. He ate a key lime pie, brownies (yum) and soft serve there. In the dining room he ate the chocolate volcano cake several times, apple pie and a lime tart. I kept him away from cookies since I saw some with macadamia nuts and the other one that I tried was the worst thing I ate on the ship!

Any questions, just let me know. I will post a general review later.

T

Generally it will say on the printing on the power strip words like "surge protection", "clamping voltage", or "XXX joules of protection". Other give aways are things like the little green LED on the Belkin unit that says "protected".

Thanks for the info.

Grounded (3-prong plug) is fine. Also, a circuit breaker is fine, and permitted, it is not the same as surge protected. Surge protection is against high voltage, circuit breaker is against high current. Just know that a US style power strip with a circuit breaker will not completely protect your things that are plugged into it, since it only opens the "hot" leg of the power, but on a ship, the "neutral" also carries power, so you must rely on the ship's circuit breaker, which opens both legs.

Your posts are always so informative and helpful. Quick question from a non-technical person. How do I (and the confiscators) know if my power strip is surge protected?

Thanks,

T

Not 100% sure on all this, but I believe that Harv & Marv has changed the short stop at Mendenhall that used to be included in all tours because of the way the park service is now charging for admission to certain areas. The new stop is a quick one at the bridge for a photo op.

T

I always tend to shop at the local, small business type places when I am in port. I always avoid the "recommended by the cruise ship" shops. The lone exception being Del Sol. (Love that place!)

Thanks OP for the info. Fortunately I am not much into jewelry. Hope to find some interesting Alaska souvenirs though.

I do occasionally pick up something from Del Sol. Do you know if the Alaska stores have more Alaska themed shirts- maybe whales or bears? Any idea if all the Alaska Del Sol's carry the same items or do they have name of the city on them? Pretty sure they are in several ports.

Thanks,

T

Thanks for posting - very helpful for those cruising soon.

T

Just a bit of moral support and some info from the parent of a tree nut allergy son (age 15). We will be having our first NCL cruise with him soon. Royal and Disney have both done great with the allergies. It was very similar to what others have described.. order meals a day ahead and getting some extra help at the buffet. Sometimes they would just bring out what he wanted from the back.

I think that just a note on reservation is best. The forms from the special access desk cover all disabilities, etc. and will have about 5 pages of questions that do not pertain to food allergies. We travel with two epipens, Benadryl and travel insurance that includes med evac.

I understand how difficult it can be for younger children to have a limited menu. Fruit and yogurt are not dessert :) I will try to post after our trip with info about the soft serve and other dessert options.

I am continuing to learn about hidden allergens. Pesto is a funny thing as sometimes but not always may contain pinenuts. Recently learned that mortadella (type of Italian salami) contains pistachios - compliments of an episode of the Big Bang theory.

Hope you have a great trip!

T

We were on that cruise but I didnt save the dailies, could answer any questions for you though!

I am not the OP, but do have a couple of questions about the Pearl to Alaska.

- New or old menu in MDR and O'Sheehans?

- How long was the line to disembark in Juneau? (Need to meet our tour ASAP)

Appreciate the help and hope your trip was great!

TMC

Lori39x-

There may be some other ways to handle the luggage. It would depend on when you are flying out and the adult to child ratio. Since you said a "day" in Seattle and not a "night" maybe you have a red eye flight back to the east coast.

1. If you have enough adults, you could rent a car(s). There is a shuttle from the pier to the rental car pick up. This will give you luggage storage and transportation back to the airport. With three or four people per car, should cost less than a shuttle too.

2. NCL offers a Seattle tour that visits the Space Needle, Pike Place, etc and then returns you to the airport. Luggage will be in the bus cargo. This may get you back to airport sooner than you want and is around $75 each.

3. I have read that there is luggage storage at the pier until 3:00. The Space Needle and other attractions are walking distance if willing to do a little hike.

TMC

We are renting a car after disembarking in Seattle, but our return flight isn't until 11:15 pm. I have read about very long lines at the car rental locations on cruise days.

T

We are going with Harv & Marv. I mentioned to the reservationist that I was concerned about making our meeting time. She said that people usually get to their pickup within about 20 minutes. Hope their experience proves to be correct. Still need to figure out when to queue for disembarkation...

T

Thanks BQ. Do you estimate that being in line "earlier" means more like 20 minutes or an hour? Does the line move quickly and is there only one exit door used?

Thanks,

T

Bumping this up for you. We will also be arriving in Juneau at 2:00 and need to meet our tour. On other cruises we have encountered some long lines to disembark in ports, so not sure what time to get in line.

T

NCL Pearl visits Glacier Bay, has a bowling alley and rock climbing wall. Also "freestyle" dining means no dressy clothing required.

T

First let me say I am NOT bringing my dog on vacation with me. We received a letter today from special needs because we requested a scooter. On this letter there is an attachment who h askes what you might need, i.e. Stateroom needs, medical issues, medications, etc. one of the sections is Service Dogs. The very first question they ask is what service/task does your dog provide. Are they allowed to ask that question? I thought it wasn't allowed. Just curious about it.

Under the ADA laws that is the only thing they can ask. No questions about the person's condition, just what tasks the dog performs.

T

In the absolute worst case, there is this newfangled Internet Commerce thing that lets you order stuff from shops in remote places and have the products shipped to you... :D

 

http://www.glaciersmoothie.com/

If only there was some way to smell them through my computer :)